Automatic pilot-light gas-burner.



F. STREET.

AUTOMATIC PILOT LIGHT GAS BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.9| I915.

Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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FRED STREET, 015 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. BRYAN KYLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

I AUTOMATIC PILOT-LIGHT GAS-BURNER.

Application filed December '9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED STREET, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Pilot-Light Gas-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pilot lights for gas burners; and the object of my invention is to provide a structure particularly available for the igniting of mantle-carrying burners.

The essential feature of my invention is to provide a pilot flame that is ignited by an automatic gas lighter just prior to the ignition of the main burner and from which the main burner is ignited; which pilot flame is extinguished upon release of the mechanism employed to actuate the automatic gas lighter; the main valve which is opened upon the actuation of such mechanism having a slight retractive movement which closes the auxiliary passage leading to the pilot flame without aifecting the main passage leading to the mantle-carrying burner. When the main valve is shut ofi, however, the auxiliary passage leading to the pilot is also closed so that no gas is being consumed when the main burner is not lighted.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l, is a front elevation of a pilot light structure made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, is a sectional view on the line II-II, Fig. 4, showing the parts in one position; Fig. 3, is a similar sectionalview showing the parts in another position, and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the line IVIV, Fig. 2, showing the valve in the open posi tion.

My present invention has been applied to a mantle-carrying burner structure employing an automatic gas lighter of the type illustrated in my Patent No. 1,086,952, dated February 10, 1914.

In carrying out my invention I provide a burner structure 1, which receives a mixing tube 2, towhich mantles may be secured in any suitable manner, (not shown). The burner-structure has a main gas passage 3, controlled by a main valve 4L; the outlet from said gas passage being controlled by a needle valve 5 of a well known type whose Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9, 1917.

Serial No. 65,981.

position is regulated by a screw 6 in the usual manner. An auxiliary gas passage 7 to support a pilot flame at the point 8 is formed in the burner-structure, and the main valve l has a pair of passages 3 and 7 for registry and communication with the main and auxiliary gas passages 4 and 7 of the burner structure. The pilot flame at the point 8 is arranged to ignite the gas flowing tothe mantle or mantles, and is adjacent the sparking point of the gas lighting means.

The main valve 4 is opened by the operation of the automatic lighting device illustrated in my patent before'referred to; gas being admitted first to the main gas passage 3, and then to the auxiliary gas passage 7 when said valve is opened to the full extent, to provide a flow at the point 8 for ignition by the sparking material of the auto matic lighting means; Figs. 2 and 4, showing the position of the parts when said valve 4 is moved to the full extent. Flow through the passage 3" of the main valve to the passage 3 leading to the main burner occurs before flow through the auxiliary passage 7 and the ignition of such latter flow at the 3110i. outlet 8 by the sparking device; the flow to the main burner being constant after the valve has been opened. For this purpose, the body of the burner-structure 1 is preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig. 4;, wherein the auxiliary passage 7 is shown as extending diagonally to the top of the same for'exit at a point convenient for a pilot flame. This pilot flame is automatically ignited as above noted, and in the operation of the lighting device, the rotatable plug valve 4: must be actuated to the limit of its movement when opened; such movement of the valve bringing the auxiliary passages 7 and 7 of the burner-structure and valve in line, as shown in Figs. 2 and a, so that gas may pass through the same for ignition by the sparking device at the pilot light opening. As long as the main valve is heldin this fully open position, the pilot flame will burn; gas flowing through the auxiliary passages thereto. This movement of the valve 4, however, is slightly in excess of that required for the flow of gas through the main passages 3 and 3 leading to the main burner; hence upon the release of the combined lighting and valve operating device, the valve will be retracted slightly to the normal open position for the main passages; closing the auxiliary passages and cutting off the flow of gas to support a pilot light flame.

The pilot light 01": my present structure is automatically ignited by means of a device of the type illustrated in my patent before referred to. ing material 9 in the form of a small rod is mounted in a tubular recess formed in the burner structure 1, which sparking material may be held in operative position by a spring (not shown) under the control of a cap 10. secured to the threaded stem 11 of the tubular recess. By this means, such sparking material is held in contact with an abrading steel in the form of a wheel 12 suitably journaled on a stud 13 carried by the structure 1, and having a star wheel 1 1 whereby movement may be imparted thereto. Movement of the star wheel with simultaneous movement of the abrading surface in engagement with the sparking material, is accomplished in the following manner: The main valve & is closed, when the operating parts are in the position in Fig. 1, and such valve is under the control of a lever 15, having an oper. ting handle 16 and a hook portion 17. The lever 15 is connected directly to the gas valve 4;, and when said lever is operated, it rotatively moves said valve in its seat; downward movement of the handle 16 to operate said lever opening the valve.

' 18 and movable in a: slot 22 in said arm is raised so as to en a e one of the oints of the star wheel when said hook 18 is released from its engagement with the hook portion 17. \Vhen this release occurs, the arm 20 is forcibly retracted by the action of a spring 23; one end of which may be connected to a pin 24 in line with the stud on which the star wheel is journaled, While the other end is connected to a projection 25 forming part of said arm 20. Upon this forcible retraction of the arm 20, the hook 18 is carried back with its pin 19 raised to the proper position to engage one of the points of the star wheel, thereby forcibly turning the abrading steel wheel a slight distanceand effecting such friction upon the sparking material as to cause a line of sparks to be discharged adjacent the'gas flowing through the auxiliary passage to form a'pilot light flame at the point 8; the

In the present instance, sparkmovement of the lever 15 to effect the operthe burner structure is provided with a shelf 26 serving the function of a cam and upon which the pin 21 rides as it is being carried forward with the arm 20, and by such engagement etlects release 01 the hook 18 from the lever 15. It will be understood, of course, that the pin 21 is provided with an antifriction roller 27 which actually engages the points of the star wheel, and such wheel is slightly larger than the slot 22 so that when in use there will be no danger of the wheel being displaced through said s ot.

The lever 15 is provided with a stop 28 which serves to limit its movement in both directions; that is to say, when opening the valve and when closing the same. When opening the valve, this stop member is engaged by the arm 20 upon retraction of the latter and remains in engagement with the same as long as the valve is held by the lever 15 or is in the normal open position for proper flow of gas to the main burner. lVhen the lever15 is brought down to the position shown by dot and dash lines, Fig. 1, the valve is in the extreme position to which it may be moved by said lever, and the auxiliary passage 7 of the burner structure and the auxiliary passage 7 of the valve are in registry, as illustrated in Fig. 2. lVhen in such position, the arm 20 is held by the projection or stop 28 of the lever 15 against the tension of the spring 23 so that when the lever 15 is released after ignition of the main burner from the pilot flame, such lever will be retracted a slight distance or to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, which is sufficient to shift the valve 4 in its seat to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby cutting off the flow of gas to the auxiliary passage and extinguishing the pilot light flame, while permitting flow through the main passages to support the flame of mantles or other portions of the burner. \Vhen it is desired to cut ofi the flow of gas to the main burner, thereby extinguish ing the flame, the lever 15 is movedupward to the position shown in Fig. 1. For the purpose ofoperating said lever 15, I preferably provide a depending rod or operating member 29 suitably connected to the lever 15 and having at the lower end aknob or handle 30 having a coiled spring 31 within the same so that downward movement to effect operation of said lever 15 and the igniting device will avoid all jar of the burner structure or the mantles carried by the same such as would tend to injure the latter or any other part of the structure.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided a superior form of pilot light structure which is always out except when the automatic device is operated to ignite the same, diflering thereby from the usual forms of pilot lights which are always burning. At the same time, I have provided a structure available for lighting mantlecarrying burners and one that avoids all danger of injuring the mantle.

I claim:

In a gas burner structure, a body portion therefor consisting of a unitary part having self-contained gas passages extending therethrough substantially in the same direction and both longitudinally of said part, said passages converging from one end of said body toward the opposite end, and said body having a tapering socket arranged at substantially right-angles to the passages; a turning-plug mounted in said socket and having two ports made transversely therethrough in substantially the same direction and converging to one side of the plug, said ports in one position of the plug adapted to connect both body passages with a source of supply and in another position to out 01f one of the body passages with said source of supply, said body having at one portion a chamber and a regulating valve therein, and having at the opposite portion means for the attachment of the body to a source of gas supp FRED STREE Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

